analysis 101: what is a system?
DESCRIPTION
Do we in IT really know what a system is? If we answer with Servers, Applications, Hardware, we need to review our understanding, since this is far from the reality.TRANSCRIPT
Analysis 101: What is a System?
& why we in IT have it wrong :(
In Short…
“A Computer!”
In Short…
“A Computer!”
WRONG!
In Short…
“A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole”
– Miriam Webster Dictionary
In Short…
“A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole”
– Miriam Webster Dictionary
WRONG!
In Short…
“A system is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated structure and exhibiting integrated behaviour”
– Miriam Webster Dictionary
Recap and ExamplesIt is NOT…• Desktop Machine Hardware• Server Hardware• Objects in an Application• Routers• Cloud• Virtual Machines
It IS…• Applications Components AND
their Workflows• Desktops, Operating Systems
AND How they’re used• Servers AND How they Process
Requests• Business Entities AND How they
server their customers • The Earth AND How it’s
ecosystem Behaves• Any Aggregation of the Above
SYSTEMS ARE EASY TO FIND!What does a system look like?
Find Structures…Structure – The ‘Statics’• WHAT’s the structure of the
system?• Entities, Departments,
Roles, Servers, Computers, Applications.
• Can themselves be ‘self-contained’ subsystems– Treated as Black Box– Still Affects the Whole This is a Structure
Watch Interactions…Behaviour – The ‘Dynamics’• HOW does the system
behave?• How do people,
applications, systems, networks etc. interact
• Watch interactions– Activities, Events,
Responses…
Mason Admires His Work
Bird Poops on Statue
Mason Curses Bird
The System is ALL OF IT!!
Mason Admires His Work
Bird Poops on Statue
Static
Static
Static
Static
Dynamic
Dynamic
Dynamic
Mason Curses Bird
…And EACH OF IT!!
• Each Item is a Subsystem
• Even the Statue…– How does it respond in
the Wind?
System System
System
Images from Dreamtime.com
Systems Are EVERYWHERE!
Hence…
Real Systems Are Somewhat Fractal!• Systems are made up of
[Sub]Systems– the Internet– Businesses
• Business• Applications• Data• Technology
• Each Has– Structure (What it is)– Behaviour (How it
Behaves) Hex Fractal Carpet – Eric Baird, 2009
What About Enterprises?• Interacting Departments
– Teams of staff Performing A Function
– Uses Business function software– …Running on Network
Infrastructure…– With Servers…– …Desktops…– …Laptops…– …Mobile Phones/Tablets– …Consuming and Producing
Information– …To Address Stakeholder Need
Another way to find statics and dynamics:
Nouns (italic) = Structures = Statics
Verbs (bold) = Behaviour = Dynamics
It’s EVERYTHING! More than Your ROLE!
ALL Mathematical! • Analytical forms of Systems Thinking• Systems Thinking Founded 1940
– Not New, but new to Masses & especially to enterprise IT• Systems Science added Analytical Frameworks• Complex Systems and Complexity Science Hot Topics!• Brings in Capabilities from Operations Research, Stochastics, Risk,
Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, Graph Theory, Category Theory, Classical Mechanics, Non-linear Systems and Chaos…
Definition:“Systems thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing ‘problems’ as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences.” Wikipedia
I’m Often Asked
“Ethar, Why do you
use the
terms Statics and Dynam
ics?”
Thanks for ViewingFurther Reading
Systems Sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_science
Systems Thinkinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking
The Goal – E. M. Goldratthttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement-ebook/dp/B002LHRM2O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415269445&sr=1-1&keywords=the+goal
Theory of Constraintshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints
Complexity Sciencehttp://www.complexity.ecs.soton.ac.uk/
Ethar Alali @EtharUK @Dynacognetics
Managing Director & Chief ArchitectPolymath-MathMo. Programming since 9 years old. TOGAF 9 Certified, Classic and Agile-EA, change agent. Blog: GoadingtheITGeek.blogspot.co.uk
Specialist ICT Strategists & Advisors. Member of HiveMind Network for some of the biggest household and corporate multi-nationals.
Accredited Growth Voucher Advisors certified to deliver IT & Web Growth Consultancy as part of the UK government’s Growth Voucher Scheme.
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